1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to housing devices for elongated elements to protect said elongated elements from their surroundings and more specifically, to an aesthetically pleasing, portable single-member housing assembly to protect an electrical extension cord.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many different devices have been developed to assist users in keeping and protecting their electrical cords. Anyone that has ever used an electrical extension cord in lengths exceeding twenty five feet understands the difficulty of protecting the cord from the environment and further neatly storing the cord out of the way of nearby persons.
In storing the electrical cord, homeowners will sometimes simply wind up the electrical cord and hang it on a hook in the garage. However, this does not protect the cord from the surrounding elements and it is further unsightly and unappealing to the homeowner.
One way this is overcome is by using winding assemblies that are mounted to the wall and allow the electrical cord to be reeled and wound up. However these mounted assemblies have drawbacks because they are not portable. Portability is a key component of an electric extension cords. The cords must travel from the nearest electrical outlet to the desired unelectrified or unwired workspace.
Other prior art approaches have attempted to solve this by creating portable cord caddies shown, however these are generally designed for commercial use, such as to assist a contractor in their manufacturing or repair duties. They are usually utilitarian and intended for these specific professional contractors, they do not have aesthetically pleasing features. Further, they are generally not molded from a single member, they usually consist of a container and a lid.
While some patents have overcome some of the problems noted abvope, they do not overcome all of the problems, and further, fall short in meeting the needs of the “weekend warrior” homeowner who are seeking to protect elongated elements via a practical and aesthetically pleasing, portable single-member housing container for protecting and storing and electrical cord.